WASHINGTON: A pilot and two children were rescued from a small plane that plunged into an icy lake in Alaska following an overnight search, officials said.

The Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser propeller plane was reported missing in the area of Tustumena Lake and the Kenai Mountains on Sunday around 10:30pm after it failed to return as scheduled. But a volunteer pilot spotted the plane on the frozen lake, leading to the passengers’ rescue around 12 hours after the aircraft was declared missing.

“Earlier this morning, a good samaritan aircraft located the plane wreckage near the eastern side of Tustemena Lake,” the Alaska State Troopers said in a statement on Monday.

A photo of the partially submerged aircraft published by local media appeared to show three people sitting on the wings. Rescuers raced to locate the trio in sub-zero temperatures overnight, according to local weather records.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025